Williams College pays $86,000 to settle tip lawsuit

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (AP) — Williams College has agreed to pay $86,000 total to dozens of servers, wait staff and bartenders the school employed to cater off-campus and non-college events.

The Berkshire Eagle reports that under a settlement approved by a judge, the money will go to 58 current and former employees of the Williams College Catering and Dining Services departments.

Each person will get from $40 to $6,000, depending on the hours they worked.

A lawsuit filed by the employees alleged that between December 2009 and October 2012, the college tacked on a 15 percent service charge at catered events that was supposed to go to hourly workers but was kept by the school.

Under the terms of the settlement, Williams denied any liability or wrongdoing and said it complied with the law.